That Russell Brand's interview . . . . .

[race aficionado]

Russell Brand's interview . . . . . I agree with him.

Think what you may of him, I thought he made a lot of sense.

http://gawker.com/russell-brand-may-hav ... 1451318185

[henners88]

I've always like Russell Brand I have to admit. Got interviewed by him for Rapture TV years ago in Ibiza and seen him live with his stand up. I like Paxman too, but it's nice when you see him meet his match during an interview. I think a lot of people forget Brand is quite an intelligent man when they are busy judging him for Sachsgate or which celeb he's dating recently.

[Parabolica]

I read an article he did on Margaret Thatcher when she died, which was absolutely brilliant.

And his "The Sun" stand up is very funny.

And yes, he does make a lot of sense in that interview, especially in his reasoning as to not voting.

[Gregor-y]

Was it as good as Hunter S Thompson's obituary of Richard Nixon?

Now that I've read it, good, but not with the same familiarity due to the fact Brand was so young during her tenure.

[anthonyvop]

More left-wing, class warfare, pseudo-intellectual, prattle.

Great way to market yourself to your low-intelligence audience.

Paxman was right Russell Brand is “very trivial man”

[Starter]

And yes, he does make a lot of sense in that interview, especially in his reasoning as to not voting.

That's about the stupidest thing you can do in a democracy. Don't vote and then stand back and piss and moan about what politicians do. You want change then go out and support someone who thinks more or less as you do and then vote for them.

People who don't vote have lost any right to complain about anything. IMO of course.

[henners88]

As they say, regardless of who you vote for the government always gets in. I don't follow politics and usually ask my father his opinion when general elections come around. He is very anti socialist that is all I know. They all lie to get in and do their best to tax the hell out of us so I think Brands message about not voting carries a lot of weight. At least to me and many of my generation. We don't have a great deal of choice in the UK. You either vote for an Eton boy with absolutely no connection to the working class whatsoever, or a socialist intent on saying the right things for the workers, but taxing us all to high heaven.

You don't have to have a degree in politics or even vote to have an opinion on it. We are all free to have opinions after all. There's no tax on it yet.

[D-Type]

It's sad to think that in the past and in some parts of the world people were prepared to go to prison and even to die to try to obtain the right to vote - and we who have that right dismiss it.

[henners88]

It's sad to think that in the past and in some parts of the world people were prepared to go to prison and even to die to try to obtain the right to vote - and we who have that right dismiss it.

Its sad for them especially if they live in a society of massive restrictions. Unfortunately politics has never really appealed to me and growing up it was just something my parents discussed and argued about. If something affects me I take notice but I'm pretty ignorant to most of it and admit that freely. There is no right or wrong really, and it is something I wish I knew more about. I always laugh when I state an opinion and someone labels me as a left wing person or whatever and if they realised the truth about my knowledge, they'd realise I have virtually no political agenda whatsoever! lol

[BDunnell]

More left-wing, class warfare, pseudo-intellectual, prattle.

Great way to market yourself to your low-intelligence audience.

Paxman was right Russell Brand is “very trivial man”

While I obviously wouldn't criticise someone simply for being left-wing, I fear you are right. 'Pseudo-intellectual' just about sums it up (though this is better than anti-intellectualism, a stance you have often embodied). If he didn't use words like 'paradigm' and 'lachrymose' an awful lot of people who've been lauding Brand for his performance (which is absolutely what it was) wouldn't have given it a second look.

As for his call for a revolution, I've rarely heard anything more stupid. The democratic system may have its faults but it at least offers certain safeguards, something Brand, in his vague, ill-thought-out calls for change, seems to forget. He made some quite good points about reasons for lack of political participation, but they are obscured by the manner in which he made them. There are many problems with our political class and the system as a whole, but they will not be addressed via the undemocratic imposition of Russell Brand's notion of utopia. His not voting, incidentally, I see as the least of the problems with his remarks. I at present have no intention to vote at the next general election because I no longer have a party to vote for, although I have always exercised my right in the past. It doesn't disqualify one from holding opinions and expressing them. The problem with never voting yet calling for political change, as does Brand, is that it suggests him not to believe in democracy.

Finally, anthonyvop, you are quite right to use the term 'market yourself'. This is exactly what he was doing. He has a new stand-up tour starting and I doubt whether the interview would have taken place otherwise.